For those of you who are morning coffee drinkers, what is that you like the most about it? Is it the ritual of making the coffee, is it the scintillating aroma, is it the anticipation of how it makes you feel, or is all of these things? Just this morning, while making my cup, I observed how the enticing aroma stirs my senses and puts me in a very cozy, empowered state of mind- a heightened state, if you will, of readiness to tackle the day’s challenges.
As I was enjoying this mindful moment, I was reminded of when I used to work at a children’s hospital, and how a couple of my psychiatrist colleagues recommended a small amount of caffeine for our mutual child patients who had ADHD. This was a pleasant surprise, but made a lot of sense, given the action of stimulants in the brain and how they increase the production of dopamine, a chemical that helps with alertness and concentration. Obviously there a pros and cons to this and in kids you should definitely not mix stimulant ADHD medications and caffeine as it can cause all sorts of side effects (see Healthline article below). Greater amounts of caffeine in the evenings can have the opposite effect and is generally not a good idea. But, a small amount, in the mornings, may show some good results, such as increased alertness and the ability for increased attention. I’ve had parents tell me that, along with psychotherapy, this has become part of the morning regimen for their child and it has greatly helped. Adult clients of mine with ADHD, find great success with coffee in moderation. This may be worth a try, but to be clear, not the end-all-be-all treatment.
For me as a coffee lover, I was happy to hear that this favorite elixir of mine may in fact provide some minor more outreaching, altruistic benefits, other than simply being a ceremony of delicious self-
indulgence and momentary retreat. That being said, how about another cup?
Check out what these articles have to say about caffeine and coffee. #healthline #adhd
https://www.healthline.com/health/adhd/caffeine#outlook
